Insect Hunts

Fireflies have their own, built-in flashlights that light up the night! Catch and observe some of these amazing creatures.

Light up the Night

What You'll Need:

Fireflies

Glass jar

As you may know, fireflies are also called lightning bugs. Those tiny, blinking lights add beauty and mystery to a summer night. But, for fireflies, they also serve a purpose. They're flashing a code to try to find a mate. In fact, different kinds of fireflies have different colors of lights and blink them at different speeds.

It's fun to catch and watch fireflies -- as long as you're gentle and you let them go after a few minutes. You're likely to find fireflies hovering over tall grass on summer evenings.

Hold up a big glass jar, and move toward the flashing lights. When you capture a firefly, put your hand over the top of the jar. Time the flashes to see how far apart they are. Then catch another firefly, and see if the flashes are timed the same -- or different.

Find out how to catch other bugs for more up-close views on the next page.